What is your yoga personality? Are you the caring, compassionate Healer? The strong and empowering Queen? Or the motherly and protective Matriarch?

These three archetypes embody distinct qualities and energies that can enhance and deepen your yoga journey.

Suppose you’re wanting to become a yoga teacher or maybe looking into taking a yoga teacher training program. In that case, you’re going to want to continue reading to learn not only your yoga education archetype, but to gain an understanding of what my teacher trainings offer—which have been carefully curated over the last decade.

Get ready to explore the healing prowess, regal grace, and nurturing strength of these captivating personas as you embark on a transformative path toward self-discovery and empowerment. Step onto your yoga mat and let these archetypes guide you on a magical, life-changing adventure within yourself!

The 3 Archetypes: Yoga Personality Types & Choosing A YTT

Each of these archetypes has unique characteristics that move every yoga teacher and aspiring yoga teacher. By understanding the philosophy behind what each archetype embodies, you can truly begin to embrace these qualities in yourself and show up as the healer and leader you were meant to be! There are three types that we’ll take an in-depth look at:

The Healer,
The Queen,
and of course, The Matriarch.

The Healer

This archetype embodies compassion, nurturing, and the power of holistic healing. Those that fit or identify with this archetype have a natural inclination to support and uplift others, creating a safe space for healing and transformation. Many that fit this mold possess a deep understanding of the body and life’s energy systems and utilize various techniques to promote well-being on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.

Yogis that typically fit this category are wellness professionals like those in yoga certification personal training, nurses practicing yoga too, doctors, and physical therapists. Yoga teachers or aspiring yoga teachers might identify with this personality type because they have a chronic illness or are recovering from an injury and are fed up with feeling like a victim.

I also often see people whom I like to call “closet healers” fit in this category. These are people that are maybe in the corporate world and have the feelings or urges to help people but are scared to take that leap. This could be because taking that leap is so far from what they originally set out to do with their life.

Take me for example, I worked in the corporate world but always felt the need to help others. Today, I’m living my best life teaching yoga and empowering more students to teach yoga their way with several yoga alliance-approved teacher training programs!

Within this archetype, I often see blockages that stop yoga teachers from continuing their yoga instructor education. If you feel like this may fit your personality, you probably have feelings or thoughts like, ‘Can I obtain this yoga instructor certification in a timely manner, on my time, and can it be worth it?’

As someone in recovery long or short-term, you may wonder if you’re good enough to become a yoga teacher or instructor. You may also feel the need to take control of your healing journey and stop yourself from falling victim to your diagnosis. As a closet healer, you may be scared to take that leap from your current career path.

Maybe you feel scared or worried about what everyone else is thinking. You may also feel guilty about abandoning what you’ve studied to be in your life and therefore deny yourself the ability to leave it behind.

The Queen

Do you exude grace, strength, and confidence? If so, you align with The Queen archetype! This specific personality type represents sovereignty and personal power. If you believe you embody this type, you inspire others to step into their own power. You embrace leadership, self-assurance, and a strong sense of purpose. Yogis and yoga teachers that feel they belong in this category practice yoga and are encouraged to cultivate self-discipline, stand tall in their authenticity, and make choices aligned with their highest selves.

The people that I commonly see that fit this archetype are my fellow type-A perfectionists! You are probably successful in the corporate world, detail-oriented, a little controlling, and a bit high-strung.

Perhaps you are an aspiring yoga teacher while also a gymnast or dancer (like the many who are a part of my yoga community.) Aside from the type A’s, I also see those that are yoga addicts and moms!

Now, my yoga addicts, do you find yourself wanting to be the queen of the yoga class or in a constant state of competition with your fellow classmates? You may even buy all the yoga gear, and have a super consistent practice that you live by. My moms are quite similar.

If you’re a yoga instructor or fellow mama and are thinking about enrolling in a specific teacher training program or general yoga teacher training, you may have the need to feel like the queen, leader, and healer of your family. You, like so many other moms, may feel overwhelmed and like you can’t always fit in a long, consistent practice, because you have x,y,z chores to do. This feeling among others can lead those that fit the role of The Queen to back away from enrolling in a yoga teacher training program.

The Queen, like the other archetypes, can be blocked by themselves. In some cases, you may think that the yoga school needs to be in person. You may feel skeptical or be locked in analysis paralysis. (Researching everything, Googling each course, coming up with questions that lead to more questions, ultimately feeling like you’re going to enroll in the wrong course, experiencing buyer’s remorse or regret, and backing away before you even enroll.)

This is one of the reasons that I offer a one on one call with my trusted advisor. In the call, she walks you through every part of the program and how it can enhance your personal practice, set you up to be teaching yoga, and reach your best self. Whether that best self is a mom pioneering her own path to finding herself again or helping a type A gymnast find an escape to a place where mistakes are totally okay and practicing yoga allows them to express themselves outside of the mold.

If you have any of these feelings or any feelings of not being worthy of this experience and need validation from a spouse or someone close to you to say, ‘Do this. You deserve it.’ – know that you do.

The Matriarch

Last, but certainly not least, The Matriarch. This archetype embodies nurturing, wisdom, and deep-rooted strength. As a loving mother figure, those in this category provide a safe and supportive space for others. If this is you, you possess a natural ability to hold space for others and offer compassion, patience, and unconditional love. In your teachings or practice, you emphasize the importance of creating a nurturing environment that fosters healing, unity, and interconnectedness.

Yogis I see in my training that are part of this archetype are the empty nester, those that are starting over, or those trying to find their identity again now that kids are grown and are no longer a caretaker. You may be retired and entering a new phase or stage of life where you have more time than you have had in a long time. In this newly found time, you choose to fill it with a more consistent yoga practice. I also see many that are considered late bloomers teaching yoga. This can be an empty nester that secretly wants to teach a yoga class but thinks they may be too old to teach or late to the game. Funny enough these teachers are needed for their own peer group to guide them.

If you’ve taught for years, maybe 10-plus years, you’re considered a seasoned teacher. You also fit The Matriarch type. You understand how to hold space for others, and are comfortable in teaching your hatha or vinyasa yoga classes. With all that understanding and comfortability, you may now be thinking of ways to take a bigger role as a leader, branch out from what you’re doing like looking into incorporating retreats or diving deeper into the areas of yoga that are overlooked like the chakras and pranayamas.

If you feel you fit this you may also be blocked from moving forward in another yoga school due to fears of not fitting in with people who may be younger. The students I see that are looking to enroll in my teacher training program that fit this archetype also feel like it might be too late for them to become a teacher. As a seasoned teacher, while you want to take the next big step in your career, you may also be questioning if this training is different from training programs you’ve taken before, like, ‘Will this class actually help me or will I be wasting time?’ These are valid feelings.

Now if you’re looking at my teacher training you’ll find that we go well beyond what the Yoga Alliance curriculum points out. You get a taste or sample of various yoga styles including vinyasa yoga, ashtanga yoga, yoga philosophy, and even prenatal yoga classes.

How To Know Your Yoga Personality Type

Now, I’ve given you all of this amazing info about archetypes, but which one do you fall into and how do I know it’s correct? Well here are some steps you can take to help yourself identify which fits you best.

Self-Reflection: Take time to reflect and meditate on your personality traits, tendencies, and preferences. Consider how you naturally interact with others or your close relationships, what roles you tend to assume in relationships or groups, and how you express your strengths and talents. If this is going to be your first teacher training, think about what is important for you to give to the yoga world. Is it helping others to find their peace through yoga? The ability to do what you love for work? Or is it the physical practice and the ability to make yoga whatever you or your students are looking for?
Self Assessment: Much like self-reflection, you’ll want to also assess what you are looking to do with your own personal practice and how you want to couple that with your teaching skills. This article gives you a great start in looking at each Archetype and allows you to continue looking inward and exploring yourself within these archetypes. Much like the assessments or quizzes you may have taken while reading a magazine back in the day, you may also want to look into a YTT (Yoga teacher training) quiz. This can help you to confirm what you believed about yourself already while also helping you narrow down the yoga certification course that speaks most to you and your archetype.

Take my quiz to find out which YTT is best for you:

Observation and Feedback: Reach out to your friends, family, or a certified teacher who knows you well and ask for their perspective on your strengths, weaknesses, and how they perceive your character. This valuable feedback can give you insights that you may not have noticed about yourself. Also, go to multiple yoga classes outside of the one you’re used to either in person or online. You’ll be able to get a taste of different styles of yoga and be able to get deeper within your own practice. With every experience that you expose yourself to, you’ll find yourself getting more into your own as a budding teacher.
Yoga Practice Exploration: Super simple. TRY EVERYTHING! Are you primarily a hatha or vinyasa yogi? Great! Try yin yoga. Try prenatal yoga even if you’re not pregnant, it can open your mind to other ways to help people or even find a niche you want to work in. Or, cooler yet, if you are a nurse or in the medical field and want to teach yoga to help your patients, say you try something like prenatal yoga, you may be able to use your newfound teaching skills to be a labor and delivery nurse or if you’re already there, helping calm a mother in labor other than having a panicking husband just telling her to breathe.

These steps can help you identify with one of the three teaching archetypes and take the next steps toward a career or side hustle in teaching. I know deciding on a teaching training program can be a daunting task and a significant investment. However, it is necessary to become the best teacher you can be. It’s also essential so that you’re able to look into what each course offers. I encourage my students and prospective students to do all their research.

Everything from checking out different yoga-focused Facebook Groups, talking with experienced teachers, and attending or auditing various classes with varying teaching styles. All of this will allow you to formulate more profoundly what you want from teacher training and what kind of yoga teacher you want to be. You can look at yoga schools once you’ve zeroed in on that.

Again, do all. The. Research. If you need the flexibility to do the course in your spare time due to your day job, take a closer look at online courses.

You’ll be able to look at everything from negative reviews, price ranges, curriculums, the support network you could have during the course, the various teaching styles you’ll learn about, and how to teach them. If you want to teach a specific style like ashtanga vinyasa, an asana practice, Hatha, prenatal yoga, yin yoga, or meditation. Whatever style of yoga you choose, you’ll want to ensure that the training you get or are looking into is quality training. Becoming a yoga teacher is so rewarding on so many levels. Important things to consider when looking at a school are making sure that the school is a registered yoga school, the teacher is a registered yoga teacher, and the course in some way incorporates teaching experience. For example, in my YTT, you can participate in student teaching exercises. This allows you to use each class as a learning experience where you’ll get tons of feedback and be built up with the confidence to teach.

Whether you’re the Healer, Queen, or Matriarch, there is purpose in what you do with yoga. You’re never too new, too old, or not enough to be a yoga teacher. The best thing you have to offer students in the yoga community is yourself. You are the magic behind your practice and the motivation that someone needs to dig deeper into themselves.

Next Steps

If you’re interested in learning the three skills that empower you to embody your yoga off the mat to get the results you desire in your personal life, check out my Yoga for Self Mastery course.
Explore my knowledge hub for How to Become a Yoga Teacher or consider becoming a Somatic Yoga Coach in my newest certification program.
Practice yoga with me on my YouTube channel with over a thousand free classes.